Music » Music CDs and why I prefer them
written by owen, published 2017-Oct-27, comment
At this point in writing I have own about 25 music CDs. They are among my favorite things. Cds hold a special place in my heart and since they are a physical medium they are limited in a way that digital media cannot replicate. Apart from video games and computer stuff I dont think there is anything that has been with me for as long as I have had CDs. CDs have certain advantages over digital that I like besides the fact they cost real money and I can only have a limited of them at any one time - mostly because I cannot afford to buy all the CDs I want which is a good thing. Plus it makes the ones I actually have extra special.
I have lost CDs over the years or given them away as gifts, even found some in garbage bins. I never re-buy CDs - it is like a rule I made up for myself. I believe every CD has a story behind it which is why people that give me CDs hold a special place in my heart. Digital MP3 music on the other hand is a case of a too much of a good thing and most mp3s do not have album covers or booklets which makes me sad. There is not such thing are a bad CD. I have gotten CDs that I loved instantly and also CDs that grew on me over time. Everything exists for a time. Somethings come back around and other things pass you by but the only thing that matters are the things that are now.
Cds are particularity hard to get in Jamaica and if you do see them for sale they are really expensive like $20 USD. $10 USD if you are lucky. Often stores will have a ton of Bob Marley Cds, or boot leg mixed CDs. I never buy digital music - seems kinda pointless to me. I usually wait until the CDs reach bargain bin because I have too many hobbies, too little time and I am not about the struggle life. Some times you will find a sketchy dude or a yard sale but those occasions are rare. I often go to people's houses, search their stuff and all I would find are empty cases or disks that are more scratched than sand paper.
I hate mixed CDs. Do not buy them. Definition: A mixed music CD is a CD that is re-released with a rearranged collection of songs; often called "Greatest Hits: " or "Best Of ". Do not buy mixed CDs! Song order is important. Another reason I hate listening to mp3s - the song order can get switched up for various reasons. I avoid Gospel, Country and RnB music because they just don't appeal to me. However I do have an Usher CD which is good.
Cds are often 10x the quality of mp3s. Put a CD in a stereo and you can turn it all the way up and still hear all the instruments. This is really only useful for people who are not already deaf from listening to music too loud. Burnt CDs do not last as long as original CDs. I have original CDs that are probably 15 years old and they still play fine. You are lucky if you can keep a burnt CD 5 years before the label peels off. Avoid burnt CDs unless you just want a quick fix.
I only keep the Cds that I like or hold for purposes of trading or gifting. There is not enough space in the world to store all the CDs that have been published so I have to grade them in some way by listening to them over and over until I come to a conclusion. Heaven help me.
Some of my favourite songs are ones that I first heard on album CDs. And its not like I dispise MP3s - I have a few of them. Even from the days of napster. I even have mp3s of stuff that you cannot even find on the internet anymore like the Indigo Club mixes by waka_x and ufo. MP3s are convenient for portable players and on the computer listening but as I said before music is a "quality" over "quantity" thing for me.
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